home school days – Lisa Preuett~Rest Stop for the Soul

I Want an Exact Answer!!

October 17, 2014October 17, 2014Lisa Preuett

Math appeals to my daughter because each problem has only one correct answer. Cut and dry. Two plus two equals four. No need to waver back and forth. You’re either right or wrong.

But when it comes to something subjective that involves reflection or opinion…..she can fall apart. In response to simply reading a few paragraphs in a book and giving a summary in her own words, the drama begins…..

“I don’t know what to put down for my answer!” “I don’t know what to do!” “I’m not sure about this!” “I’m just gonna leave it blank!”

What I think is going on is this: She’s really asking the question “What if I get this wrong? What if this isn’t right?” “What if I fail?”

I get frustrated with her and tell her to calm down. I try to explain the difference between an exact answer and an acceptable answer. Math is absolute….one correct answer. Writing a one sentence summary of a paragraph will look different for each student. But all the answers will be acceptable.

After the drama settles down, she makes an attempt. Sometimes the first word can be the hardest. But once she steps out and starts writing, it makes more sense. It comes together. And she can finally accept the fact that her answer will be different from her friends. Her unique answer reflects who she is.

God whispers to my heart in that moment: Sometimes you want an exact answer for something, Lisa. You want to know precisely step-by-step how to handle something. You stand still and become paralyzed because you’re afraid of failing.

There are some things in God’s word that are absolutes. If we were to ask these questions, there would be an exact answer:

Should we murder? NO

Should we steal? NO

Should we commit adultery? NO

But what about this one: Are we commanded to love our neighbor? YES

But what does that look like? Will everyone’s answer look the same here? Or will each person follow through according to the gifts God has given them?

Here are some ways we can show love: Help someone with yard work. Invite a friend over for coffee. Write an encouraging note. Write a check to meet a financial need. Give a hug. Take the time to listen. Spend quality time with a loved one. Buy a special gift. Wash someone’s car. The list goes on…..

There is not just one way to show love. Love according to how God has wired you. Love with a passion that only you can give. Let your unique love flow through you to the people in your corner of the world.

The way in which you show love will look different from those around you. Not everyone will have the same exact answer for this command to love.

But to do nothing? To stand still–as if paralyzed–for fear of getting it wrong? That would be a wrong answer for sure. To do nothing is to disobey this greatest command from Jesus.

So what about you, dear friend? What are you doing to show love? Are you standing still waiting for an exact answer? Waiting for God to tell you step-by-step what to do for someone? I urge you to pray and step out of this mode of thinking and simply ask God to open your eyes.

To see your children in front of you.

To see your neighbors you might rarely speak to.

To see your co-workers.

To see those friends from the gym.

To see those homeless people with the cardboard signs.

To see the single moms who are barely making it.

And yes….even the people who have wounded us.

When our eyes are truly open, we can then choose to love freely from our heart. We can love with the gifts God has blessed us with. It is far better to love by stepping out in fear of the unknown–even if we stumble–than to stand still doing nothing….waiting for some magical answer to appear before us.

We are all called to love. And when we each follow through with our unique way of loving, this is the body of Christ! And that is a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Mark 12:31 “…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Things That Really Matter

September 26, 2014May 16, 2017Lisa Preuett

It’s a home school day. What lies ahead? Will it be calm? Or full of drama? My daughter drops her pencil on the floor and by her response you would think the world was caving in. Drama……Really? It’s just a dropped pencil for heaven’s sake!

A few minutes later after recovering from the dropped pencil, she makes a mistake on her math paper. It’s only one out of twenty-five, yet by her response you’d think she had missed all of them. More drama….. Really? It’s only ONE problem! Why can’t she focus on the twenty-four problems she mastered?

Just when I think this girl of mine has exerted all the drama she could possibly muster in such a short time, we have yet another incident. She uses the wrong shade of blue to label a city on her map for geography class. She had meant to use light blue but discovers she’s used a dark blue. By her response you’d think she had used black scribbles all over it! More drama…..again.

With all these dramatic incidents, I plead with her to not get so upset over the little things.

“Focus on the big picture, sweetheart. You’re doing a great job, but you are absolutely exhausting yourself emotionally when you get upset like this. Save your energy for the big stuff–the things that really matter.”

I shake my head and shoot up an arrow prayer before going about my day. “God, please help this child to stay calm with the trivial things! Why is she acting like this? She is wearing me out!”

Just a few hours later I am working on balancing our bank account. In the busyness of this season, receipts and bank statements have piled up and I am way behind schedule. I optimistically think that I can knock this out quickly. (First mistake…..I set up an expectation.)

I am plugging along at a good pace and then all of a sudden the computer locks up. It freezes. I can’t continue with this task. I yell at the computer screen as if it is a person and can actually hear me.

Come on! What is wrong with you!?

When it doesn’t respond the way I want it to, my frustration grows and I slam my fist on the desk. Wham!

In the still small voice that I know is God whispering to my weary soul, I hear Him say this: Really, Lisa? All this drama over a frozen computer screen? This is a little thing. Save your emotional energy for the big stuff.

A little later I head out the door to run an errand. When I retrieve my phone from the charger, I notice the charger is NOT working. My phone is still dead. Now I must go out of the house with no phone! My frustration level rises….again. By my response you would think the world was caving in.

The still small voice I heard a few hours prior is calling me….again. This time it seems a bit louder. Lisa, this is a little thing. You are too focused on this phone. The world will not fall apart without it. Save your emotional energy for the big stuff.

I finally let the reality of this profound truth sink in. Just as my daughter fell apart over trivial issues, I too squandered my energy on petty frustrations. Things that don’t really matter when viewed through the lens of eternity. From God’s perspective, these little things are really no big deal.

I need to be reminded of what the apostle Paul says about trivial things in 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

A dropped pencil, a missed math problem and a map mistake? Light and momentary troubles!

A frozen computer screen and a broken phone charger? Light and momentary troubles!

So what is this eternal glory Paul talks about? Well, that would be the big stuff. The stuff that really matters.

Lingering a little longer in my daughter’s bedroom at night to listen to her and pray with her. Eternal glory!

Having coffee with a single mom who needs a listening ear. Eternal glory!

Planning a family night to just hang out and laugh together. Eternal glory!

Yes, these are the things that really matter. But if I exert too much energy on the little things, I’ll be depleted and won’t have anything to offer when it’s really needed.

What about you? What light and momentary troubles are you dealing with this week? If you’re like me, it’s easy to get focused on those things and lose heart. But I pray we will see these things for what they are–light and momentary–and save our energy for the things that really matter.

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

Check out my book, Embracing The Race: 40 Devotions for the Runner’s Soul

Look How Far You’ve Come!

March 25, 2014October 4, 2014Lisa Preuett

Fourth grade math has been a struggle for my daughter this year. One day recently she got “stuck” on a problem and burst into tears. She picked up her math book and flipped through the many pages of lessons still to be completed for the rest of the year.

Look at how much I still have to do this year! I’ll never get through this silly book. I just can’t keep going!

I uttered a desperate prayer asking God to help me encourage her in that moment. How could I get her “unstuck” out of her moment of frustration? How could I keep her focused? What could I possibly say to encourage her?

She kept flipping through those pages mindlessly. The last third of the book was still left to be done. And then it hit me!

I picked up her math book and instead of pointing out the pages she still had left to do, I pointed out the pages she’d already completed….the first two thirds of the book!

Look here….you’ve already finished these pages! There are more pages you’ve completed than pages you still have left to go. You’re going to get through this because LOOK HOW FAR YOU’VE COME!

Her frown turned into a half smile. Then she heaved a sigh of relief. She picked up her pencil and kept going.

God has a way of speaking to me through my daughter’s struggles. As I watched her continue her math problem, He spoke loud and clear to my heart, reminding me that we can get overwhelmed when we focus too much on what lies ahead of us. We often lose sight of how far He’s brought us in certain areas because we’re so consumed with what’s up ahead. We fear the future. We stress over the uncertainty….the unknown.

While we are saying, What if? What if?

He is saying But look! But look!

Look how far you’ve come. Look how I’ve carried you. If I carried you this far, I’ll keep carrying you every step of the way.

Sometimes we just need to stop and take a look back. Not looking at past sins that are forgiven. Not looking at the past in ways that cause us pain or regret. But simply looking back at how much we’ve grown in our faith. Take a look back and remember from where you’ve come. Areas of your life have changed drastically. You don’t react the way you used to. Sins you were once tangled up in are now memories of the past. Yes, you still have a way to go, but look how far you’ve come.

God is faithful and He will continue what He started in us. If He came through for you in the past, then He will carry you through today. He will carry you through tomorrow. And next month. And next year.

So where are you “stuck” at this season of life? Stressful job? Difficulty in your marriage? Tension with your kids? Uncertainty with your finances? Do you feel like you just can’t make it through this time? Feel like throwing up your hands in disgust? Doubting that there is no way you can get through this current struggle?

Whatever it may be dear friend, I encourage you to stop and reflect. Take a deep breath and be still. Ask God to direct your thoughts back to where He’s provided. Back to where He’s healed. Back to where He’s strengthened you. Back to places you thought you’d never come through. Yes, you are going to make it! Yes, you are going to get through whatever it may be. Yes, because LOOK HOW FAR YOU’VE COME!

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

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